Thursday, March 21, 2013

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Congressman C. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an investigation into emergency managers in Michigan. Reps. Conyers and Peters issued this statement following their transmission of the letter to the GAO:

U.S. RepresentativeJohn Conyers, Jr.

John Conyers, Jr.: “It is difficult to identify a single instance where an emergency manager has succeeded in turning around the financial fortunes of a city or jurisdiction. The history of the emergency manager Law in Michigan is replete with fiscal mismanagement and conflicts of interest. In the absence of any sort of checks or balances at the state level, it is vital that the GAO examine the law and its impact, particularly the impact on federal funding.”

U.S. RepresentativeGary Peters

Gary C. Peters: “By focusing only on short-term budgetary patches, emergency managers have failed to address the long-term systemic issues confronting older urban areas. The consistent record of poor results we’ve seen from emergency managers is why I’m joining with Congressman John Conyers in calling for a GAO review.”

Monday, March 18, 2013

To stop further job loss in the public and private sectors, it is important that Congress repeal the sequester. These across-the-board cuts will cost more than 750,000 jobs this year alone and could derail the economic recovery.

Working families are calling on Congress to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from benefit cuts (i.e., raising the retirement age and the "chained" CPI), repeal the sequester and close tax loopholes for corporations and the wealthiest 2%.

Social Security Works, MoveOn.org and the Other 98% gathered more than 300,000 signatures and more than 60 national organizations signed onto a letter calling on Congress to repeal the sequester.

Organizations who signed the letter include the AFL-CIO, Alliance for Retired Americans, the Strengthen Social Security coalition, the Education Trust, Every Child Matters Education Fund, Wider Opportunities for Women, Green For All, the Letter Carriers, National Education Association and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund.

(WASHINGTON) – Today, dozens of House members and Senators are sending a letter to President Obama later today raising the alarm about Japan’s possible interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations between the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and several Pacific Rim countries. The letter, still circulating for signatures, will go to President Obama later this afternoon. Current signatories are below. After signing the letter, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement:

U.S. Representative
John Conyers, Jr.

“With the auto industry just now regaining its fiscal footing and profitability, it’s a very serious development that USTR is considering opening the domestic auto industry up to unfair competition from one of the most restrictive markets for automobiles in the world,” said Conyers.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

(WASHINGTON)– Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Wayne State University two exploratory/developmental grants totaling more than $272,000 for cancer detection and diagnosis research, as well as cancer treatment research. This funding was awarded through the National Cancer Institute, an organization within the National Institute of Health under HHS. One grant award of $123,976 went towards a Guiding Ca2+ Channel-Based Cancer Treatment Using Mn2+-Enhanced MRI. A second grant award of $148,770 went towards a Differential Network Interrogations of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Program. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement following the announcement:

U.S. RepresentativeJohn Conyers, Jr.

“I am happy to announce that the National Cancer Institute has awarded Wayne State University two grants, worth more than $272,000, to research and combat cancer,” said Conyers.

“In particular, these two grants will go towards funding a Guiding Ca2+ Channel-Based Cancer Treatment Using Mn2+- Enhanced MRI, as well as a Differential Network Interrogations of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition Program. Both of these programs will facilitate the groundbreaking cancer research that Wayne State University is conducting.

“As the budgetary sequester begins to take effect this month, grant funding for programs like this serve as a reminder of what is at stake if such steep cuts to vital discretionary programs are allowed to continue.”

“Today, I stand with my colleagues at a bipartisan forum on gun trafficking in support of the ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013,’” said Conyers.

“Firearms violence remains an unacceptable epidemic of crime and death that impacts every community in this country. Each day on average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns, amounting to 12,000 lives each year. We simply cannot live with this horrifying status quo.

“Illegal gun trafficking is a critical enabler of gun violence. Research suggests that only about one of every six firearms used in a crime was obtained legally, and a noteworthy portion of crime guns are illegally diverted from legal commerce. We know that some federally licensed firearms dealers are disproportionately the source of guns used in crime, and we know that there are longstanding trafficking route for crime guns.

“Simply put, current law is not adequate to provide federal law enforcement with the tools needed to investigate and prosecute gun traffickers. As it stands, there is no law that specifically prohibits firearms trafficking and that reflects the seriousness of the threat of straw purchasing.

“To address the inadequacy of current law, I have joined Representatives Carolyn Maloney, Elijah Cummings, Scott Rigell and others in sponsoring H.R. 452, the ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act of 2013.’ This bill will prohibit straw purchasing and penalize those who run gun trafficking rings that engage in straw purchasing.

“The ‘Gun Trafficking Prevention Act’ is critical to strengthening our firearms laws, but it is only one part of a comprehensive strategy that includes: Requiring background checks for all gun sales, banning semi-automatic assault weapons, banning high capacity ammunition magazines, addressing the root causes of violent crime through prevention programs, and providing better evaluation and treatment to address our mental health crisis.

“The magnitude of the problem demands that we do all of these things. Supporting the Gun Trafficking Prevention Act is a critical first step in addressing the national problem of gun violence. I will continue in this struggle against gun violence and this forum until our bill becomes law.”

Friday, March 8, 2013

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) attended the President’s signing ceremony for the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA). Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 286 to 138, with 87 House Republicans breaking with their party, to pass the bipartisan version of VAWA that passed the Senate overwhelmingly by a vote of 78 to 22. The Senate version of VAWA includes critical protections for the LGBT, immigrant, and Native American communities. In addition, the legislation expands protections for campus security, and reduces the backlog for domestic violence evidence kits. Rep. Conyers has been a leader on the issue of combating domestic violence, working since 1994 when the original VAWA first became law, to expand protections to all victims of violence. Following the signing ceremony, Rep. Conyers released this statement:

U.S. RepresentativeJohn Conyers, Jr.

“It was an honor to stand alongside President Obama as he signed the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization into law. I am so pleased that Congress finally put partisanship aside to reauthorize this essential legislation,” said Conyers.

“Since 1994, VAWA has helped to reduce domestic violence by more than 64 percent. The 2013 reauthorization expands VAWA so that it now applies to all victims of domestic violence, including the LGBT, immigrant, and Native American communities.

“The issue of domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States. But, in reauthorizing VAWA, Congress and the President have taken another important step in making strides against domestic abuse.”

(WASHINGTON)– Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued the following statement after his vote in opposition to H.R. 933, the “Fiscal Year 2013 Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act:”

U.S. RepresentativeJohn Conyers, Jr.

“Today, I opposed a flawed government spending bill that fails to make critical investments in our nation’s domestic priorities or stop the devastating across-the-board spending cuts known as ‘sequestration,’” said Conyers.

“By failing to stop sequestration with today’s vote, Congress is callously turning a blind eye to the terrible ramifications of these cuts. Failure to act today is a failure to prevent 600,000 to 775,000 low-income women, infants, and children from losing access to nutritional supplements. It is a failure to protect 100,000 low-income families who will lose their housing vouchers. It is a failure to preserve precious dollars in the unemployment checks of millions of jobless workers.

“Budgets and funding bills are necessary components of the work of any legislative body. But they also serve another purpose: they demonstrate to the world our values, morals, and national priorities. By voting for a bill today that ignores the needs of millions of Americans by funding necessary domestic government programs at levels not seen since the Eisenhower Administration, the vision of America we project to the world today is that of a country that is failing at its most basic tasks.

“Thankfully, there is a way out of this self-inflicted crisis: Congress can simply cancel the sequester. I have introduced a one-sentence bill, H.R. 900, the ‘Cancel the Sequester Act’ which would do just that. The time for debate is over. It is time for Congress to act. It’s time for Congress to protect our constituents from Washington’s dysfunction and cancel the sequester.”

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

(WASHINGTON)– Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded Wayne State University more than $148,000 in exploratory/developmental grant funding for cancer treatment research. Breast cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death for women. This funding was awarded through the National Cancer Institute, an organization within the National Institute of Health under HHS, and went towards a 4D Microfluidic Platform for Targeting Breast Cancer and Lymphatic Interactions. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) issued this statement following the announcement:

U.S. RepresentativeJohn Conyers, Jr.

“I am pleased to announce that the National Cancer Institute has awarded Wayne State University a more than $148,000 grant to combat breast cancer,” said Conyers.

“Specifically, this grant funding will go towards a 4D Microfluidic Platform for Targeting Breast Cancer that will foster extensive breast cancer research. The grant will allow researchers at Wayne State to analyze certain lymphatic interactions as they relate to breast cancer.

“As the across-the-board spending cuts begin to kick in this month under sequestration, it is innovative research like the work occurring on breast cancer at Wayne State that reminds us why continued funding for health research is so essential. It is for this reason why I have introduced H.R. 900, the ‘Cancel the Sequester Act,’ in an attempt to avoid even further devastating cuts to critical domestic programs.

“I will also continue to advocate for increases in federal funding for breast cancer research, and look forward to working closely with Wayne State University on their innovative and world class breast cancer research programs.”